Barbecue hardware



Mama? 31950 A. J. MILLER BARBECUE HARDWARE Filed Aug. 27, 1945 INVENTOR. 406057 c]. MILLER BY ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFHCE.

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in barbecue hardware, and its principal object is to provide a hardware structure for outdoor barbecues which may be readily built into a masonry fireplace or the like, or which may be used by itself over an improvised fire shelter.

A further object of my invention is to provide a grate and a mounting means for the same whereby the rate may be readily and conveniently raised or lowered with respect to a source of heat arranged underneath the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for looking the elevating means whereby the grate may be firmly held in any position to which it may have been adjusted.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a specific grate construction in which the rods are removably supported in the frame, so that at the end of the season the rods may be removed from the frame for cleaning and storing purposes.

It is further proposed to provide an arrangement whereby the grate itself may be used for holding the fire and the elevatin means may be utilized for adjusting the fire with respect to the skewer.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be set forth as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my barbecue hardware will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of my barbecue hardware, as assembled;

Figure 2, an end view of the same;

Figure 3, an enlarged detail section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4, an enlarged detail view taken alon line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5, a detail view of a driving disc used in my invention.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my barbecue hardware is preferably supported on two posts I disposed in spaced and parallel relation. These posts may be made to fit into the pit of a fireplace indicated at 2, and in that case are preferably anchored by means of bolts 3 passing through plates 4 secured in the masonry and flanges 5 Lil projecting from the posts and overlying the masonry. Any other suitable means may be used, of course, to mount the two posts I in spaced and parallel relation.

The posts are channel-shaped, as indicated at 8, with the channel openings facing one another.

A rectangular grate l is mounted between these two posts with freedom of vertical motion. The grate has for this purpose, brackets 9 secured upon opposite sides thereof, the brackets having ridges or ribs iii adapted to ride in the post channels.

Each bracket 9 has a bottom flange ll forming a seat for the edge of the grate. The brackets are arranged centrally with respect to the grate so that the latter is balanced on opposite sides of the plane defined by the posts, and normally tends to maintain a horizontal position.

The ribs iii are sufliciently long in the channels to hold the grate in horizontal position even if it becomes unbalanced on account of uneven distribution of weight thereon.

The upper ends of the two posts are preferably interconnected by a rod if having double sets of bolts [3 at each end for adjusting the spacing between the posts. A shaft id is revolvably supported in the upper ends of the posts, underneath the rod l2 and provided with a crank handle 15 by means of which the shaft may be manipulated.

The shaft is connected to the brackets 9 by means of cables or chains it, which are adapted to be wound upon the shaft when the latter is rotated, for raising and lowering the grate.

It is desirable that means be provided for holding the shaft i lagainst rotation after proper adjustment of the grate has been effected. For this purpose I mount the shaft It with limited freedom of endwise motion and secure upon the shaft, near one of the posts, a square nut I! adapted to be received between the flanges of the channel when the crank i5 is pulled outward, as in Figure 2, and to lock the shaft against rotation.

To prevent accidental movement of the shaft I4 in the opposite direction, I provide a latch i8 pivoted to a projecting end of the rod i2 and formed with a slot 59 adapted to engage over the projecting end of the shaft id and to bear against a second nut 20 mounted on the shaft M outside of the post I.

The latch I8 is preferably provided with an inwardly turned flange 2!, which bears against the post I and crowds the body of the latch against the nut 20. The flange 2| thus creates sumcient friction between the latch and the nut for firmly holding the latch in position.

The grate used in my barbecue hardware is of specific construction and offers the advantage that the rods may be readily removed for cleaning and storing purposes at the end of the season.

My grate comprises a rectangular frame 22 and a plurality of rods arranged therein in parallel and spaced relation. A number of the rods, indicated at 23, may be made to pass through opposing holes in opposite frame members in a conventional manner, and may be held in place by means of nuts 24 threaded upon opposite ends thereof. This fastening means is preferably selected for the two end rods, and also for the two intermediate rods marked 23, which serve the purpose of holding the brackets to the rate frame. The four rods thus identified may also be used for clamping a side plate 25 upon the righthand side of the grate frame.

The other rods marked 26 are merely provided with a slight bulge 21 at their left ends adapted to serve as stops for limiting the depth of penetration into the frame member while the right ends of the rods, as shown in Figure 1, are held in place by the plate 25, which, of course, is only positioned after the rods are put in their respective places.

In assembling the grate, each of the rods 26 is first guided, with its plain end, through one of the holes in the right frame member, whereupon the left end, with the bulge, is guided into the corresponding hole in the left frame member.

After all the rods 26 have thus been positioned, the plate 25 is placed over the free end of the rods and is secured in position by the upper and lower rods 23, and the bolts 24. Next the brack ets 8 are positioned with respect to the frame and the two intermediate rods 23 are applied for securing the brackets in place.

In case it is desired to use the grate as a fire grate, a rectangular border frame 23 may be employed for confining the fire.

The posts I also support, preferably formed integral with the flange 5, a pair of vertical flanges 30 adapted to serve as supporting means for two spaced skewers 3!, which may be of specific construction, each skewer comprising a main pin 32 supported in the bearings and a parallel pin 33 supported in spaced relation by means of a small bracket 34, or other suitable means.

Each of the skewers is provided with a crank handle, the one being indicated at 35 being adapted for manual operation, and the other one at 36, for operation by means of the motor 31.

The motor 31 has a drive shaft mounted in alinement with the main pin of the skewer, and the drive shaft has a disc mounted thereon formed with a radial slot 38 adapted to receive the crank 36.

The disc, indicated at 39, thus drives the crank 36, but at the same time, allows the crank and the skewer to be removed without difficulty.

When the skewers are used for supporting the meat or fowl to be barbecued, the elevating grate is preferably used as the fire grate, and gives perfect control over the amount of heat to be used, since it can be raised and lowered at will.

The skewers are held against endwise motion by means of a pair of nuts 40 disposed on opposite sides of the supporting flange.

I claim:

1. In barbecue hardware of the character described, a pair of spaced posts having channels therein, a grid having mountings at opposite ends slidable in the channels, a shaft mounted in the posts over the grid with freedom of endwise motion, means secured to the mountings and adapted for winding upon the shaft for changing the elevation of the grid when the shaft is turned, nuts mounted on the shaft on opposite sides of one of the posts, one of the nuts being cooperable with the post channel for locking the shaft against rotation when the shaft is moved endwise,

and a latch member cooperable with the other nut for holding the shaft against reverse endwise motion.

2. In barbecue hardware of the character described, a pair of spaced posts having channels therein, a grid having mountings at opposite ends slidable in the channels, a shaft mounted in the posts. over the grid with freedom of endwise motion, means secured to the mountings and adapted for winding upon the shaft for changing the elevation of the grid when the shaft is turned, nuts mounted on the shaft on opposite sides of one of the posts, one of the nuts being cooperable with the post channel for locking the shaft against rotation when the shaft is moved endwise, and a latch member cooperable with the other nut for holding the shaft against reverse endwise motion, the latch member having friction means for locking the same in position.

3. In barbecue hardware of the character described, a pair of spaced posts having channels therein, a grid having mountings at opposite ends slidable in the channels, a shaft mounted in the posts over the grid with freedom of endwise motion, means secured to the mountings and adapted for winding upon the shaft for changing the elevation of the grid when the shaft is turned, nuts mounted on the shaft on opposite sides of one of the posts, one of the nuts being cooperable with the post channel for locking the shaft against rotation when the shaft is moved endwise, and a latch member cooperable with the other nut for holding the shaft against reverse endwise motion, the latch member being pivoted to the post and having a slot engageable over the shaft between the post and the second nut, and having a transverse flange adapted to bear on the post for crowding the body of the latch member against the second nut.

AUGUST J. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 982,771 Shields Jan. 24, 1911 1,309,049 Syrett July 8, 1919 2,091,488 Polhemus Aug. 31, 1937 2,106,538 Schmitt Jan. 25, 1938 2,213,483 Benson Sept. 3, 1940 2,307,914 Bitney Jan. 12, 1943 2,372,751 Trick Apr. 3, 1945 2,388,831 Cramer Nov. 13, 1945 

